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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. cold — an illness
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — of ice
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. firm — decided
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. firm — a company
  10. mark — a grade
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. kick — in football
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stem — to come from
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. firm — steady
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cold — not warm
  24. mark — a trace

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com